For the first time in 53 years, the New York Knicks enter the season as reigning NBA champions and will receive their championship rings and celebrate with a banner ceremony on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, when they host the new-look Philadelphia 76ers. With a few roster changes and looming contract issues, what will the 2026-27 season look like for the champs?
As the quest to defend their championship is on the horizon, head coach Mike Brown understands there is no room for complacency even after winning a championship the season before.
“Regardless of what we accomplished, moving forward, our standard and how we approach our process is going to be really critical for us,” Brown said. “We can’t afford to have any slippage in our process.”
One of the biggest changes this offseason comes with the departure of Mitchell Robinson, the longest-tenured Knick on last season’s team after spending all eight seasons of his career in New York. Robinson was widely considered one of the most underrated pieces of the championship run, with his rebounding proving invaluable. The big man averaged 5.7 points and 8.8 rebounds while playing just under 20 minutes per game before signing a three-year, $47 million contract with the Boston Celtics in July.
The void left by Robinson’s work on the glass will be sorely missed. However, the Knicks quickly pivoted, signing veteran big man Andre Drummond to a team-friendly, one-year, $3.9 million veteran minimum contract. Drummond averaged 6.4 points and 8.4 rebounds last season in Philadelphia, giving New York a proven rebounder to help fill the gap.
“Mitch was near and dear to our hearts. But Andre isn’t coming in to be Mitch,” star guard Jalen Brunson said. “He’s coming in to be himself.”
Drummond is coming off the heels of a career-high 90 three-point attempts last year. While the new Knicks big man will be looking to slip into a rebounding-dominant role, he feels ready to pick up where he left off last season.
“If the shot is there, I’ll take it. It’s not a shot that I’m hunting,” Drummond said. “But I’ve got the green light to do it.”
Aside from the change at center, the roster remained nearly identical, with the franchise retaining key free agents. Landry Shamet re-signed on a four-year, $24 million contract, Jose Alvarado returned on a three-year, $14.4 million deal, and Jordan Clarkson came back on a veteran minimum contract. New York added 2024 NBA champion Bruce Brown, only to waive him on Saturday in order to keep veteran big man James Wiseman as a No. 3 center option behind Drummond.
That continuity should help the Knicks build on their championship chemistry, particularly as players become more comfortable in Brown’s system.
“Just the comfortability with the group alone, that’s huge,” Shamet said.
The starting five isn’t going to see much change. However, the bench unit is going to be a revolving door of players fighting for minutes. Brown made it clear that returning players will still have to earn their minutes.
“Every day is a competition,” Brown said.
He also welcomes the adversity that inevitably comes with an 82-game season, saying he wants to see how the group responds when losses pile up and outside criticism intensifies.
“The 82-game season is about trying to find your way,” Brown said. “We have to be ready to evolve or pivot as the year goes along.”
The Knicks will also have to navigate questions about the future of their championship core. The team has tabled contract extension talks with Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart until later in the season, leaving two key contributors without new long-term agreements. Towns is set to earn $57 million this season and holds a $61.1 million player option for 2027-28. Hart, meanwhile, is eligible for an extension worth up to four years and approximately $132 million.
The financial complications are tied in part to the NBA’s second apron, which imposes significant roster-building restrictions on teams that exceed the threshold. Owner James Dolan has made clear that the Knicks are unwilling to cross it, adding another layer to the challenge of keeping the championship roster together.
For now, the organization has made its priorities clear: focus on the upcoming season and revisit negotiations later. Both sides still have time to reach agreements, but the uncertainty will remain in the background as New York tries to repeat.
The wait for a new banner to hang in Madison Square Garden is almost over, and once it goes up, it will put a bow on a magical season. But the celebration won’t last long, as the quest for a repeat championship begins in the 2026-2027 season, with the Knicks looking to prove that last year was only the beginning.
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